Tri-State Webinar: Early Identification of Autism in Girls

Webinar Description:

In general, girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are identified significantly later than their male counterparts. Some studies suggest that the key characteristics of ASD in young children that early childhood professionals are particularly attuned to (e.g., limited imitation, diminished social sharing; delayed joint attention skills) are often intact in preschool-aged girls who later receive a diagnosis of ASD. In fact, we may need to be considering a broader set of behavioral markers when we are assessing a young girl for possible ASD. In this webinar, we’ll present a summary of the current research. concerning early emerging markers of autism in girls. Relying upon a developmental model of autism, we’ll discuss possible implications of this research for improving early childhood autism assessments in girls. Case examples will be integrated into the webinar to illustrate key points.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify several key markers of ASD in young children – both male and female
2. Summarize what is known about different symptom patterns in boys and girls during the toddler and early childhood periods
3. Identify 3 strategies for improving assessment practices when evaluating young girls

Presenter Information:

Susan Hepburn is a Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University and a licensed clinical psychologist. She is actively engaged in teaching at the university and consulting in schools on educational identification and intervention for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is collaborating with community partners to establish a clinic on the CSU campus which will provide evaluations, consultation, and direct support to persons with ASD and their families.

Certificate of Completion:

To earn a Certificate of Completion/Attendance for an archived Tri-State Webinar:

1. View the archived webinar on our Moodle site
2. Submit responses to the Study Questions (on Moodle)
3. A Certificate of Completion will automatically be populated. Download and/or print.

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The webinars are listed by category and alphabetical order. The category for this webinar is Assessment.